1. CooPEUS Meeting
Fostering transatlantic cooperation and the integration of Earth Observation projects into GEOSS
17th December San Francisco
Gilles OLLIER
Head of Sector
Earth Observation Sector
Directorate Climate Action and Resource Efficiency – I4
Directorate General Research & Innovation
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
A series of regular Stakeholder Meetings to operationalize the Galway Statement started in Brussels in April and June 2014 with high level participation from Europe, US and Canada, bringing together a variety of existing networks already active on both sides of the Atlantic.
The third meeting took place in Washington D.C. on 1 October 2014, and another one in Canada on 18 November These meetings allowed for a greater number of ocean stakeholders from these countries to get involved in the implementation of the Galway Statement, and to consolidate the trilateral character of this implementation.
An Implementation Roadmap is taking shape as one of the main outcomes of these stakeholder meetings

2. GEO Global Partnership
• Intergovernmental
partnership set by
international agreement since 2005
• Legally non-binding Voluntary contributions
• 10 year GEO mandates - Current ( ) - Renewed ( )
• 95 Nations, plus EC 89 Participating Org. 5 Caucuses
USA EU
CHINA SA

3. What is GEOSS ?
1) A global coordination platform for Earth observation
2) A response to EO needs in 9 Societal Challenges
3) An information system providing Full & open access
to EO datasets

4. Collaboration between US and EU through GEO: e. g
Collaboration between US and EU through GEO: e.g. Global Initiatives - governance
GFOI (Forests) GMOS (Mercury) GEO BON (Biodiversity) GEOGLAM (Agriculture) The Geohazard Supersites Blue Planet
GEO Carbon

5. Example: the Water Community of Practice
"From observations to decisions"
"We can manage only what we can measure"
A strategy for addressing water data product needs to inform decision-making:
Maintenance and enhancement of water cycle observations at national, basin and global scales
Better quantification of fluxes and stores in the global water cycle;
Increased availability and use of data, information and indicators to support operational water quality decision-making
Information on expertise, information systems and datasets to the global, regional, and national water communities 5
ftp://ftp.earthobservations.org/TEMP/Water/GEOSS_WSR_Full_Report.pdf 5

6. Contribution to the assessment of global water resources through the use of new Earth Observation datasets and techniques

7. Transatlantic Alliance
Launched in May 2013 (Galway statement)
Goal: To better understand the Atlantic Ocean and to promote the sustainable management of its resources. The objective is also to study the interplay of the Atlantic Ocean with the Arctic Ocean, particularly with regards to climate change.
In May 2013, an Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance between Canada, the European Union and the United States was launched in Galway, Ireland, with the high level signature of the "Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation".
In Galway, some of the best marine scientists from EU, US and Canada identified convergences between their respective scientific agendas. They concluded that together we can build a capacity to understand and predict major Atlantic and Arctic processes, as well as the changes and risks they carry in relation to human activities and climate change. Such a capacity will focus our efforts and provide an anchor for future transatlantic cooperation in this area.
(Signing for the EU: Commissioner Damanaki and Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn).
The goals are to better understand the Arctic and North Atlantic and to promote the sustainable management of its resources. The work will also study the interplay of the Atlantic Ocean with the Arctic Ocean, particularly with regards to climate change.

8. Galway Statement Areas of Cooperation
Five areas of cooperation were identified as priorities in the policy dialogue both with the US and Canada and are part of the Galway Statement commitments:
• Ocean Stressors
• Aquaculture
• Observing Systems
• Marine Microbial Ecology and
• Ocean Literacy

9. Horizon 2020 – Blue Growth
Horizon 2020 is strongly supporting the Blue Growth strategy with a dedicated Focus Area for the Work Programme.
The EU commitment was translated into the current Blue Growth calls with 195M€ in the Work Programme and 57M€ "earmarked" as Galway Statement follow-up calls.
Good participation rate in the first Horizon 2020 Blue Growth call form the US (with NOAA, WHOI, National Marine Educators Association among partners) and Canada(with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, MEOPAR, Dalhousie and Newfoundland Universities among partners).
Blue Growth call open for Improving the preservation and sustainable exploitation of Atlantic marine ecosystems
There are 6 actions with some 57 million euro flagged as follow up action of the Galway Statement:
Developing in-situ Atlantic Ocean Observations for a better management and sustainable exploitation of the maritime resources
Ocean Literacy – Engaging with society – Social innovation
Supporting international cooperation initiatives: Atlantic Ocean Cooperation Research Alliance
European polar research cooperation
Improving the preservation and sustainable exploitation of Atlantic marine Ecosystems
Response capacities to oil spills and marine pollutions.
We are committed to keep the momentum in the implementation of the Galway Statement and make progress in order to ensure the success of its implementation. The further development and expansion of this Trans-Atlantic cooperation is intrinsically related to its success so far.

10. Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System
Challenge:
Deployment of IAOOS
Scope:
Northern and Southern
Atlantic
Fill observational gaps
Reducing the costs of
in-situ ocean observation
Interoperable exchange of data
International partners from
both sides of the Atlantic.
IAOOS
2014: Developing in-situ Atlantic Ocean Observations for better management and exploitation of maritime resources
Challenge: Conduct the Research and Innovation activities necessary to the deployment of an Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System (IAOOS), building on existing capacities on both side of the Atlantic.
Scope:
The Northern Atlantic, and the Southern Atlantic, including the part bordering Antarctica and Arctic.
Fill the observational gaps regarding the in-situ part of IAOOS
Use of new ocean observation technologies enabling reducing the costs of in-situ ocean observation.
Underpin the full and open discovery and access to ocean observations and their interoperable exchange of ocean at the scale of the Atlantic Ocean
Participation of international partners from both sides of the Atlantic.
Type of action: One large Project
In collaboration with GEOSS Blue Planet Task

11. Conclusion
Joining forces internationally is the only way to tackle global challenges and sustainably exploit natural resources
International political frame needed (GEO, transatlantic alliance, etc…)
Joint priority setting (through the transatlantic alliance, GEO post-2015)
Alignment – Horizon 2020 dedicated calls, EU and its individual Member States, GEO Blue Planet, NOAA, NSF, MEOPAR, etc.
A series of regular Stakeholder Meetings to operationalize the Galway Statement started in Brussels in April and June 2014 with high level participation from Europe, US and Canada, bringing together a variety of existing networks already active on both sides of the Atlantic.
The third meeting took place in Washington D.C. on 1 October 2014, and another one in Canada on 18 November These meetings allowed for a greater number of ocean stakeholders from these countries to get involved in the implementation of the Galway Statement, and to consolidate the trilateral character of this implementation.
An Implementation Roadmap is taking shape as one of the main outcomes of these stakeholder meetings

12. Thank you!